Stardate 31 st May 2016

My friend, the M1 and I have hung out a lot recently, ancient memories and future ponderings filling the endless miles as I drive from my studio in the North to clients and galleries in the South, East,West and all places in-between.

I’m quite unique in the animal portrait world in that I insist, wherever possible, in visiting my clients for a gentle photo shoot in their own homes and with their humans. These meetings are an important ingredient in my work, giving me the flavour of the relationships, whether it’s all about the fun to be had or a serious working arrangement. Each one is perfect in its own special way.

Recently I was called to visit and photograph a beautiful old girl, who her human family knew was edging ever nearer to that old rainbow bridge. They wanted to capture her in more ways than a photograph can and I was able to get there in time and record what I needed for an oil on canvas portrait which will become a family heirloom.

Then at the beginning of the month I was invited to create a piece of work for a group show at ‘Brush in Brighton’. Dogs to Dodos exhibition is part of the Mourning Conversations Festival so I wanted to create something that celebrated every dog that no longer walks with us. Many hours in the car, many motorway macchiato were sipped, using the still and yet moving time pondering which image would sum up such a great loss for me and then in the early hours just outside Sheffield the idea arrived.

‘The Last One’ shot in Killicrankie in 1680 by Ewen Cameron of Lochiel – inspired from an illustration from the time and a landscape by contemporary photographer Jason Smalley of the place the shot that killed the last British Wolf was fired. The work is 91 x 61cm in oil, spray, acrylic and glitter on canvas and will be on display at Brush, 84 Gloucester Road, Brighton, BN1 4AP from the 7th to the 21st June and prints will be available.

In parting just a nod to get your cameras out, if you haven’t for a while – and take some photos of your wolf – Sara x

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